However, a big-name MMO handing out a month's free game time after only being live for FOUR months reeks of desperation and an attempt to artificially inflate subscription numbers to hit a benchmark.

You are welcome to interpret it that way, just as other people are certainly allowed to not take it that way. You've made your point that you think it is desperate so there isn't much point in continuing to beat this dead horse.

Nothing wrong with giving free time in as compensation for extended downtimes/screw-ups. It's good business practice and occurs in many industries.

However, a big-name MMO handing out a month's free game time after only being live for FOUR months reeks of desperation and an attempt to artificially inflate subscription numbers to hit a benchmark.

Blizzard gave it's subscribers free time during vanilla. Look how well that worked out. They are not doing it to inflate the numbers artificially. They are giving it out as compensation for downtime/screw ups. The exact same reason blizzard did. Your framing is ridiculous.

A free month is a sign that the developers are wanting to thank their playerbase. Nothing more needs to be read into it. If they were hurting for money, they wouldn't have done that. Do you think EA would let them give away FREE months!? Hell no! lmao